Simplification 2013

It seems like every year I realize I’ve filled my time with things that take up too much of my time! As I’ve been praying over 2013 during the month of January, I’ve been feeling I need to (once again) simplify my life.

So I’m stepping back from a blog I contribute to. I’m also aiming for less participation in some of my Goodreads groups (that is truly a time suck! Fun, but time suck.)

My book writing schedule is still very busy, so I’ll be doing no more critiques with my Story Sensei business in the first half of the year so that I can focus on my books, on writing what God wants me to write.

I’m going to focus my energy on my own blog--I’m aiming to post 3-4 times a week, as well as posting contests more regularly. I’m also going to be more active on my Goodreads group and my Facebook page, posting contests there as well.

And I absolutely DEPEND on those three outlets for help when naming characters, since many of you know how pathetic challenged I am in coming up with character names. :)

This will be a marketing year for me, which for you guys means lots of books being given away. I hope you’ll read them, love them, and lend them to your friends!

Or getting your library to order them would make me happy, too. And of course, making me happy is right there at the top of your list. :)

One thing I realized in 2012 was that I was so busy that I didn’t have time to read as much as I wanted to. For me as a writer, reading refills my creative well, and if the well’s empty, then it’s harder for me to write.

So in 2013, I’m going to do more reading. I want to decrease my TBR pile at least a little!

Also, I am going to read more non-Christian fiction in 2013. If a non-Christian book offends me, I won’t finish it, but I do want to know what my non-Christian friends are reading. They tend to read historical romances, paranormal romances, and young adult novels, so I’ll be reading more of those. It gives us a good topic of conversation and a way to connect with my non-Christian friends, which I think is what God wants me to do.

However, I’m going to make sure to stay constant with my daily Bible reading, because I know that in going “out there” into the world with my reading, I’ll be exposing myself to a lot of non-truth, and the only way to know the Truth and not be influenced by lies is by studying the Word.

And lastly, I’m cutting down on my TV watching. I got this idea from one of my Facebook friends who mentioned that it allows her to have more time to read! What a great idea! For me, cutting down on TV is easy since I watch everything on Tivo. I just deleted a few Season Passes for shows I won’t be watching anymore, and so now the shows won’t be recorded and won’t show up in my queue.

So how about you? Are you feeling the need to simplify or are you doing well? Do you have any suggestions for me?

(By the way, I was going to put a picture of a clock at the top of my blog post but instead decided to post this, which is me and Big Ben, taken in order to prove I really did go to England in September this past year!)